Escalator-landing.



PATENI'ED AUG.'18, 1908.

E. L. GALE, s3. ESGALATOR LANDING.

APPLICATION FILED m0 22,1905

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7mm fll'lozn- 1 PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. E. L. GALE, Sn. ESGALATORLANDING.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22, 1905.

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No. 896,098. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. E. L. GALE, SB. ESGALATOR LANDING.

APPLIGATION FILED DBO. 22,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Attest: In ventor.

nN TEn STATES "P ENT OFFICE.

ERNEST L. GALE, SR, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATORCOMPANY,

OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

E SGALATOR-LANDING.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908..

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, ERNEST L. GALE, Sn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State ofNew York, haveinvented a new and useful Im )rovement inEscalator-Landings, of which t e following is a specification.

4 My invention relates to landings for moving Stairways and one of itsob ects isthe provision of simple and efficient means for varying therate of movement of a passenger Pehlv een the moving stairway and astationary am lng.

More particularly, it is the object of the present invention to rovide arevolving platform adjacent the ower or u per land-' mg of a movingstairwa so that t e periphery of the landing shal have substantially thesame speed as that of the stairway, while the center of'the platformadjacent a fixed platform shall have comparatively a much slower speed.T

Other Objects of myinvention will appear hereinafter, the novelcombinations of'elements being pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a planview of myimproved revolvin platformin connection with a portion 0 themoving-stairway; Fig. 2 represents in elevation a moving stairway and myinvention in elevational sectional view applied to the up er landingthereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view of t e modified form of the ig pparatusshowing-certain parts in section; 1g. 4 is a modification of Flg. 3;Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detailed views of Fig. 4; and Figs. 8, 9, 10 and11 show further modifications of my invention.

Referring now to Fi 2 it will be seen that 1 designates in generaIamoving stairway or what is commonly known as an escalator which may beof any type, the Otis escalator being preferred. 2 des gnates themovable steps which are shown 1n horizontal alinement at 3 to form themovable lower landing; the steps 2 are shown at-4 in horizontalalinement to form the upper movable landing of. the escalator.

6 designates diagrammatically an endless belt or chain, for moving thestairway, said belt running over sheaves 7,

8, 9, and 10 and being connected by the belt 12 .to the electric drivingmotor 11, which is mounted on the base 14." Mounted also on the base 14is an auxiliary electric motor 13 which is connected by the belt 1 5 toa countershaft 16. To the outer end of said countershaft is connected abevel pinion 17 which meshes with the bevel gear 18 onthe under side ofthe movable platform 19 which in this instance is shown of annular form.

In width the annular portionof the platform 19 is referably severalsteps. In Fig. 1, I have s own by dotted lines the periphcry 27 of therevolving platform 19 111 fric tional engagement with downwardprojections 26 on the under side of the steps 2.- It is now evident thatwhen'the stairway is moved upwardly, say, the latform 19 will berevolved in a clockwise irection by reason of the frictional engagementof the downward projections 26 with the periphery 27 of the revolvinplatform 19.

It should e noted that that ortion of the platform 19 which is adjacentt e steps 2 revolves substantially at the same s eed as said steps aremoving in a straigr t line.v When a passenger, therefore, steps om theescalator 'to the revolvinghplatform he is not likely to be thrown as ewould be if he step ed immediately to a stationary landing. 'As tieassenger approaches'the center of the plat orm the rate of speed atwhich he is moved will be radually reduced so that he may step onto t efixed landing 20 with ease.

Guard rails 28 and 29 may be provided to revent ,the passenger frombeing moved too Far around b the platform.

In Fig. 2 have illustrated a spiral stairway inclosed by the tubularcasing 22. The stalrs 24 is interposed between the casing 22 and thepost or core 23 and leads from'the stationary, annular, upper landing 20to the doorway 25 adjacent a lower floor landing 14; if desired, thestairs 24 may'lead to an upppr landing.

though an auxiliary motor '13 is shown for positively driving thelatform 19, the latterm-ay still be left in ictional contact with thedownward projections 26 to insure a peripheral speed of the-platform 19sub stantially equal to that of the straight line movement of thestellils 2.

In Fi 3 I have s own. in sectional plan view fee 26 in lace of theprojections 26 of Fig. 1, said raclrs being adapted to mesh p with thegear teeth 27? on the under side of the stairs may revolving the landing19 and maintaining its peripheral speed equal to that of the straightline movement of the steps 2. Inasmuch as the landing 19 may at times becalled upon to carry heavy loads, it is preferable that the auxiliarymotor 13 and connections shown in Fig. 2 be also used.

As in Fig. 1, so also in Fig. 3 I have shown guard rails 28 and'29 whichmeet additional guard rails 30 and 31 which are secured to thestationary platform 32. Preferably the stationary send-circular ortion33 of the landing 32 is flush with te landing 19 and may he soconstructed as to approach the horizontal portion 32 on an incline. 01,there may be a stationary platform 33 of semi-circular form and arrangedhorizon tally so as to be flush at 34 with the platform 19. In such casea step 35 would have to be provided of a height a little greater thanthe height of the lane passing through the upper surface of t e platform32 above the plane passing through the uppersurface .of the platform 19.

In Fig. 4 the revolving landing 19 is provided with a series of movablese ments 38, the concentric portion of each 0 said segments beingrovided with a semi-circular groove or rah et 40 which is adapted to fitover a corresponding semi-circular projection or tongue 39 secured tothe platform 19 as shown in Fig. 5. Obviously the projection or tongue39 ma be integral withthe platform 19 but pre erably I insert asemicircular strip in the groove 41 (Figs. 5 and 6) so that the stripmay be made of diflerent material than that of the platform, if desired.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated in detail the construction of the platform19 shown in Fig. 4 in that the portion 48 of the platform 19" is not cutaway so that said portion may serve as a substantial support for theweight of any passengers that step upon the segments 38 in leaving theescalator and a proaching the stationary landing 32. n the constructionsillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the tongue 39 is depended upon to supportthe segments and any weight which may be placed thereon but such asupport may not prove suflidient.

When the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4 is employed the platform 19f.-may.be suitably geared to the escalator as shown in Fig. 3, or

said platform may be provided with indeendent driving mechanism suitablyreguated so as to have the proper peripheral speed. Assuming that thesteps 2 are moving to the left in Fig. 4 it will be seen that the flatface 37 of one of the segments 38 is in full engagement with the steps2, the surface of saidsegment bein arran ed-so as to be flush or in thesame p ane Wit the surface of the steps 2 as well as with the surface ofthe platform 19". That the planes passing through the upper surfaces ofthe segments 38 and the platform 19" or 19" coincide is illustrated inFig. 5. Furthermore, the platform 19 and segments 38 are so designedthat when the segment 38 a proaches the of the steps it will begradually oscillated or moved on the tongue 39 until its flat face 37contacts throughout its length with the edges of a plurality of steps,which of course at this time are in horizontal alinement either at thelower landing as indicated at 3 in Fig. 2 or at the upper landing asindicated at 4 in the same figure. It is evident that for a short timethe segment 38 may have a speed of movement exactly equal and similar tothat of the steps 2 and during this time a passenger may step onto theadjacent se ment with. perfect safety and walk toward t e stationarylanding 32 without any liability of being thrown due to a sudden changeof movement of his own body. That is, the rate of speed at which aassenger is moved in attempting to step off rom a moving stairway isgradually reduced from the peri heral speed of the platform to that neart e center thereof which obviously is very much less. What is true inregard to a passenger attempting to leave a moving platform is also truein regard to a passenger approaching such a platform. That is, thepassenger may with equal facility approach and step onto a movingstairway or lprlatform when m invention is employed. Fig. 8 I have s owna further modification in that the segments 43 which correspond to thosedesignated 38 in Fig. 4, are placed in the steps 2 of the stairway. Theconcentric portions 45 may be connected with tongues 46 as indicated indotted lines, the construction in detail bein that shown in Figs. 4 and7. The segmen s 43 instead of having flat faces have arc-shaped faces tocorrespond with the periphery 27 of the revolving landing 19. The uppersurfaces of the segments 43 when the steps 2 are in horizontal alinementwith each other are in the same plane as the surfaces of the steps 2 andof the platform 19. i The arrangement of the parts is such that as asegment approaches the landing 19 it strikes against the same and isslightly oscillated thereby until its face 44 is in contact throughoutits length with a portion of peri hery 27. At this time the scgment insuc osition is about to pass under the guardrail 42, this being the mostconvenient arrangement for'a passenger about to step on or to leave themovable platform escalator and strikes against t e edge of onecomprising the steps 2 in horizontal alinement.

rails 30 and 31 of Fi 3 are not used the edges of the stationary patform 32 may be bev-' eled to a thin edge where it is in closecontiguity with the platform 19. So also if the construction shown inFig. 3 at 33 and 34 is not employed, a semi-circular portion of thestationary'platform 32 of Fig. 4 may also be thus beveled.

- of speed.

It 1s obvious that those skilled in the art may make modifications inthe details of the partsherein shown and described or vary thearrangement of the same without departing from thespirit and scope of-myinvention.

I, therefore, desire it to e understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the exact construction herein disclosed.

In order to show the various applications of the principle and breadthof my invention,

I have illustrated certain modifications in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. It isshown in Fig. 9 that the rotatable landings may be opposite each other,either at the upper or lower landings of moving stairwaysor inconnection with moving sidewalks.

My invention may also be used in facilitating the handling of passengersentering or,

leaving railway trains. In Fig. 9, 2 designates a moving side walk,adjacent which isplaced the rotatable landing 19, and o posite the sameat the left-hand ortion o the figure, an additional rotatable andin 19.ThlS arrangement may be used as we 1 at the up er or lower landing ofanescalator or moving stairway,so that passengers could a proach the lowerstairway landings from eit or side, or leave the 11 per stairway landinfrom either side if t e stairway is one W ich is moving upwardly.

If the moving side-walk 2' is laced at an elevation from the ground or aoor, the rotatable landing 19 may be reached by means of a stair 49which is connected to the stationary landin 32 just above the rotatablelanding 19. T e stationary platform 32 may be provided with uard-rails31 which connect with additiona guard-rails 29 for directing thepassengers to the rotatable landing adj'acent the moving side-walk 2'. Ido not desire to be limited to a rotatable landing having a peripheralspeed the same as the longitudinal speed of the side-walk 2. ;For

example, the eripheral-speed of the rotatable landing may e madesomewhat less than the longitudinal s eed of the side-walk, thusallowing a hig er speed for said side-Walk. The rotatable landing mayeither extend underthe side-walk 2' as shown at the left of Fig. 9, orit may be in contact therewith as shown in the upper right-hand portionof Fig. 9, or it may be placed at a short distance therefrom as shown inthe lower right-hand portion of Fig. 9. In the latter case, a fixed ormovable auxiliary platform 46 may be used to close the gap between thelanding 19 and the traveling side-walk. The lower right-hand portion ofFig. 9 otherwise shows the construction similar to Figs. 1 and 2 asregards the s iral stair-wa 24and stationary annular lan ing 20, but t eguard-rail 29 of Fig. 1 is here extended as shown at 29 to surwa .ormovin platform 2" should be moved in a clo'c wise direction. Thepassenglers may approach the train 4 8 by means of t e stair 49 latform32, rotatable'landing 19 and movmg platform2f'. Passengers may approachthe train 48 by means of the stem 49, platform 32, rotatable landing 19and movi platform 2 Either train may be approac ed from the s iralstairway 24 and lntermediate rotatab e landing 19". Suitable guard-rails50, 50 and 53, 53 are rovided for preventi ,the assengers from allingfrom the mov ziklge p atform 2". It will be seen that with t 'sarrangement, the asse ers may be gradually accelerated om t e stationaryatforms to the train and that the train may be moving while theassengers are entering or leavingthe same. 11 such case, of course, itwould be preferable to have open cars. -The rotatable landings need notnecessarily have a peripheral speed equal to the speed of the platform2", butthe latter may be greater and the speedof the resppctively, itwill be seen that the sidetrain somewhat greater than that of the movingplatform 2. Whether the passengers wish to go to the train from thelandings32, 32 and 20 or whether they wish to approach said landingsfrom the train, it is evident that there need be no sudden change ofvbodily movement so as to throw down a assenger, that is, the train couldbe safely led with passengers or emptied, in a much shorter space oftime than when the train must come to a stand-still and allow thesepassengers to go out from the end doors onto the stationa platform. J

n Fig. 11, I have shown a railwa 47 which maybe such as laced onllridges between two cities. In vsue case, in order to facilitate thehandling of assen ers, large rotatable" landings 19", p0 ygona orcircular in shape, may be placed at the ends of the bridge.- A trainofcars, 53, while moving toward the left-hand end of the bridge as tracksides would be adjacent the respective cars viewed in Fig. 11, couldautomatically oper ate the rotatable landing 19 so that the flat and"the passengers could enter or leave the cars while the train was inmotion. In this case, there would be little if any relative movementbetween the rotatable landing and the train, and guard-rails 51 could beprovided for directing passengers and preventing injury to them. At theright-hand end of Fig. 1 1, I have shown arotatable landing 19 circularin shape, which may be constantly rotating at any desired speed, whichmay be less than that of the train or equal to the speed thereof. In anyevent, it should be rotated at a speed to enable assengers to safelyenter or leave the train i ile the train is in motion, and it is evidentthat the train could have a greater speed with this arrangement thanwhen the passengers would be re quired to gain an entrance to the trainfrom a stationary landing and the train is in motion.

, Instead of the rotatable landing having the be such a large gapbetween the landing and ters Patent of the United the platforms of thecars. Of course, if open cars are used, this is not .of such importance.In any event, movable auxiliary platforms could be automaticallyprojected from the under side of the platform 19, to close up such gaps.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to haverotected by Lettates is:

1. The combination of a lon itudinally movin stairs, and a rotatinglanding.

2. The-combination of a constantly and longitudinally moving carrier,and .a single movable unit having varying rates of'speed atdifferent-portions thereof and serving as an ap roach to said carrier.

3. he combination of 'a moving stairs, and an adjacent platformrotatable relatively thereto.

' 4. The combination of a moving carrier,

and a single rotating landing in engagement therewith; 1

5. The combination of a movi and a single rotating landing peripheral seed substantially equal to the speed of sai carrien' 6. The combmatlonwith a moving car-' rier, of a single rotating platform, and means fordriving said platform.

7. The combination with a moving car-v rier, of a single movableplatform, a stationary platform, and means for driving said movableplatform to effect an acceleration of passengers from said stationaryplatform to said movable platform.

carrier, Y avmg a.

8. The combination with a moving stairs,

of a rotating platform adjacent a anding thereof, and means foreffecting the rotation ofsaid platform. 9. The combination with a movingof a rotating platform adjacent a anding thcreofand rotatable withrespect thereto, and independent means for moving said platform.

1-0. The combination with a moving stairs, of a latform connected to oneof its moving landings and rotatable relatively to the stairway, and astationary landing.

11. The combination with a moving platform, 'of a rotating platform, andmeans for effecting a peripheral movement of said revolving platformsubstantially equal to that .of the said moving platform.

12. The combination with a moving stairs, of a rotating platform, astationary landing, and a stationary stairway.

13. The combination with a movin stairs,

of a rotating platform forone. or bot of its moving landings, astationary landing, and a spiral stairway.

14.. The combination with a moving stairs, of a rotating platformadjacent a moving landing of said stairway, a stationary landing, aspiral stairway, and means for positively driving-said revolvingplatform.

15. The combination with a moving carrier, of a revolving platform, andguard-rails abovesaid platform.

16. The combination with a moving stairs, of a rotating annular platformadjacent one of the moving landing: of said stairway, a centralstationary lan 'ng, and a stationar stairway leading from saidstationary lan 1n 17. The combination rier, of an annular latformadjacent thereto,

and a stationary anding leading from the over the same.

18. The'combination with a moving carrier, of a revolving platform, anda series of segments connected to said platform.

19. The combination with a moving carrier, of arevolving platform, and aseries of movable segments connected to the periphery of said platform.

20. The comb'nation with a moving carstairs,

with a moving car- 7 rier, of a revolving platform, andsegmentsconnected to and having an oscillatory movement in the peripheryof said platform.

21 The combmation with a moving carrier, of a rotatable platform, andmovable segments effecting continuous passage be-.

tween the carrier and platform.

22. The combination with a moving carrier, of a revolving platform, andmovable segments carried by said platform and moved thereby intoengagement with said carrier to intermittently form continuationsthereof.

896,098 a I .5 w

The combination with a. .moving car- In testimony whereof, I have signedmy rier, of ,a revol latform, and movable name to this specifieation inthe presence of vmg p segments to maintain closed the gap betwosubscribing witnesses. tween said platform and said carrier. I ERNEST,L. GAILE, SR. 5 24. 'The combination with a moving car- 'Witnesses:

rier of a revolving platform and segments CmnLEs M, NIssEN carried byone of said parts. R. BJHAMILTON.

